


Cinnamon Sprinkles

by happy_go_fluffy



Category: Anne of Green Gables - L. M. Montgomery, Anne with an E (TV)
Genre: 5 + 1 Things, Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Alternate Universe - College/University, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Anne loves to flirt back, F/M, Fluff, Gilbert has game until he doesnt, No Angst, Tooth-Rotting Fluff, enjoy some barista realness with a heavy dose of romance, just fluff, no plot just happiness, this is the coffee shop meet cute you've been waiting for, this is what barista dreams are made of
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-06-13
Updated: 2020-06-13
Packaged: 2021-03-04 01:55:27
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 7,450
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24705694
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/happy_go_fluffy/pseuds/happy_go_fluffy
Summary: Working weeknights as a barista at The Six in Toronto was typically an uneventful task for Gilbert Blythe. That all changed the week Anne Shirley-Cuthbert came in and turned his world upside down.OrFive times Gilbert flirts with Anne at work and the one time it pays off.Made in cooperation with the ever talented @Lovelyrugbee for drawing such a beautiful Gilbert and sparking this story into existence.
Relationships: Gilbert Blythe & Anne Shirley, Gilbert Blythe/Anne Shirley
Comments: 19
Kudos: 171





	Cinnamon Sprinkles

**Author's Note:**

> Hope you enjoy this workplace adventure with this dashing man behind the counter slinging lattes. Hallmark told us that these things can happen and I desperately want to believe them.

Drawing by Jenni aka [@lovelyrugbee](https://twitter.com/lovelyrugbee) Thank you for blessing the world with Barista!Gilbert 😍

** One **

It was a poorly kept secret that Gilbert requested closing shifts because he wanted time to study while on the clock. Nobody said anything to the boss because he got all his closing tasks completed each shift and usually got his coworkers out a little early to boot. 

It was about two hours to close when Gilbert began emptying some of the large coffee urns to fill them with hot water and a cleaning tab for their overnight soak. His microbiology textbook was laying on the back counter so he could read it as he stood in front of the sink as he waited for the urns to empty of coffee, then fill up with water to repeat the process. There was never a quick way to do this— even when the lever was flipped all the way open they poured out so slowly. 

Gilbert was just finishing the final rinse of one of the large containers, thoroughly wrapped up in his current paragraph about the intricate details of viruses, when he heard the bell above the door jingle. 

“Hi, welcome to The Six. I’ll be with you in just a second,” he called over his shoulder, trying to get the container ready to fill with hot water from the brewer before he took the customer’s order. The rinse water finished draining a moment later and he quickly set the urn in its spot under the coffee maker. 

He turned around to greet the person who’d just entered the shop and nearly forgot how to breathe. Standing on the other side of the front counter was the most beautiful girl he’d ever seen. Dressed in a gray fall jacket with a hunter green sweater peeking out from underneath, her long auburn hair looked like it was glowing, effectively brightening the previously dull space. She had stunning deep blue eyes that were crinkled towards the edges due to the bright dimpled smile she was giving him. 

“Hi,” she chirped, giving off the energy of a Disney princess. 

“Hey,” Gilbert squeaked, his voice betraying him and causing his ears to go pink at the tips. He quickly cleared his throat before trying again with a “Hi,” at a much manlier register. 

Charlie chuckled from the bar, causing Gilbert to flash him a look that screamed “if you ruin this for me I’ll kill you in your sleep.” Receiving the message loud and clear, Charlie dutifully started wiping down the flavor syrup bottles with a rag. 

Smiling at her, he tried to recover from his rough start. “So, how are you doing tonight?” he asked while leaning casually against the counter. 

“Oh, pretty good. I just got off from the after school program I work at, so now it’s time for homework. Coffee after working with cute little gremlins for hours seemed like a good idea,” she joked. 

“Definitely,” he said, smirking at her. “You can’t let the gremlins win by tanking your GPA. That’d be a shame.”

“Exactly. Gotta remind them who’s boss,” she retorted, complete with a theatrical scowl before laughing, her smile shining brightly once again. 

Gilbert laughed with her, looking at her in awe for a moment before remembering himself and why she was there. 

“So what’ll it be tonight?”

She tapped her chin with her finger, contemplating her options. “I’m not feeling anything overly fancy today, so just a medium plain latte, please.”

“Excellent choice. Anything else for you?”

“I didn’t eat anything for dinner cause I came straight here. Any chance you still have any grilled cheeses left?”

Frowning, Gilbert apologized, “Shoot, no, we just sold our last one about a half hour ago. If you’re hungry our apple fritters are a pretty filling bakery snack. They’re my favorite.”

“Well if they’re your favorite, then by all means,” she replied, gesturing with a wide sweep of her hand. “I feel like I have to get one now.”

“Awesome,” he said as he entered the order into the register. “Do you want me to heat it up in the oven? They taste way better that way.”

“Yeah, that would be great.” She smiled and tucked her hair behind her ear.

“Great. So a medium latte and an apple fritter. Sorry, I just realized I didn’t get your name yet,” he admitted, blushing a little at missing such an obvious part of the ordering process. 

“Anne,” she replied, “with an e,” her eyes flicking down to his name tag in response. 

“Ah yes. Can’t forget the e. Wouldn’t want your name to be plain Ann with two n’s instead,” he quipped, flashing her a wink so quickly it would be missed if she wasn’t already looking directly at him. 

Anne flushed more brightly, making her freckles nearly disappear into the pink hue that appeared underneath them. She smiled as she began digging through her purse for her wallet. 

“What do I owe you?” she asked as she handed him her card. 

“Um, let’s see,” Gilbert said as he hit the buttons to finish the transaction. “$6.87. Do you want a receipt?”

“Does anyone actually say yes to that question?”

“You’d be surprised,” he answered as he returned her card, raising his eyebrows as if he had many crazy stories he could tell her sometime. “Ok, you can go ahead and wait at the end of the bar. Charlie will get started on your drink while I grab your apple fritter.”

“Sounds great,” she said, smiling. 

Anne dropped a dollar in the tip jar and headed to the other end of the bar. While she did this Gilbert grabbed the fritter from the bakery case before pulling the lever on the coffee machine to fill up the container with hot water to soak overnight. 

After putting the fritter in the oven he turned around and began chatting with Anne as he waited for the oven to finish its reheat cycle. “So Anne, what homework do you have to work on tonight?”

“I’m an education major and in my pre-student teaching semester, so I have to write these really elaborate four page lesson plans. I have one due tomorrow, so that’s basically the only— Uh Gilbert. Gilbert!” she yelled, pointing frantically behind him towards the coffee machine. 

He heard it before he saw it— the sound of a waterfall as near-boiling water flowed out the bottom of the coffee urn, all over the counter, soaking his microbio book and everything else on the counter before spilling over the side into a lake on the floor.

“Oh shit!” Charlie yelped as Gilbert ran over to the container to flip the handle back up. He’d forgotten it in the open position while emptying it into the sink and hadn’t closed it before refilling. While he was busy frantically grabbing towels and trying to contain the mess, Charlie finished her drink and fished her apple fritter out of the oven, handing it to her on a plate. 

“Sorry about that, I promise we’re usually not this out of control,” he reassured her. “Let us know if you need anything else.”

“Thanks.” She nodded, glancing at Gilbert frantically trying to clean up the mess, before finding a spot in the dining area opposite the front counter. 

Charlie walked up to Gilbert and clapped him on the back. “Bro, you didn’t need to put cinnamon sprinkles on that one,” he murmured, referring to their barista code of adding **cinnamon sprinkles to the order of a cute customer to tell the person working the bar to keep an eye out. 

“I’ve never seen you so flustered in your entire life. You recovered there for a minute, but then you botched the landing. I love you, but you’re a disaster,” he kidded, gesturing at the giant puddle they were standing in. 

“Shut up, Charlie. Can you roll up the mats? I’m gonna mop now since I already soaked the floor.”

Gilbert came back with the mop bucket and began cleaning up the mess he’d made. He looked out at the tables and saw Anne was watching him. He held up his waterlogged textbook, watching as water poured from the spine onto the floor, his eyebrows furrowing at the damage. Shaking his head he smiled at her, making an “accidents happen” type shrug, laughing at himself. 

She took a bite of her apple fritter and held it up to him in a cheers motion, thanking him for the suggestion before focusing back on her laptop to begin her homework. 

* * *

**Two**

The next week when Anne came into The Six for her Tuesday study session Gilbert was nowhere to be found and instead Charlie was behind the counter. 

“Hey, Anne, right?” Charlie asked. 

Her eyes widened in surprise before she smiled. “Uh, yeah. How’d you remember?” 

“Well it’s not every day Gilbert writes out someone’s name on the order as “Anne with an e” and then proceeds to try to flood the entire store. You’re pretty memorable. It was the most exciting shift I’ve worked in months,” he chuckled. 

“Uh, well, thanks I guess?” 

“I promise it’s not a bad thing,” he said reassuringly. “What can I get you tonight?”

“Hmm... you’d think I’d consider this before I walk into the store, and yet here we are. Can I get a large London Fog?”

“You bet. Do you wanna try the trivia question for a discount?”

“Oh, uh, sure! I love trivia,” Anne said, looking up at the chalkboard. The question read ‘Prague is the capital city of which country?’ 

“Czechia?”

“Sorry, that’s not it. Maybe next time!” Charlie read her the total and swiped her card before walking to the back room. Opening the door he yelled “Yo Gil, I’m taking my 15. Get out here, Red needs her drink!”

Anne’s eyes grew for just a second before schooling her face back to a neutral expression as Gilbert came out of the back. 

“Oh hey, Anne,” he greeted cheerily, flashing her a grin while checking the order screen to see what he needed to make. “How are you?”

“Pretty good. Well, I was. Then I got the trivia question wrong, but I’m 99% sure I answered it correctly…”

Gilbert quirked an eyebrow, his curiosity obviously piqued, as he began to make her drink. “What was the question? I’ve been on bar all day.”

“Prague is the capital city of which country?”

“Czechia,” Gilbert responded instantly, the answer quickly available in his memory. 

“That’s what I said!” Anne cried, throwing her hands up in the air. 

Confusion washed over Gilbert’s face. As soon as he finished steaming the milk he set down the pitcher to check the answer written on the register. As soon as he read it he busted out laughing, releasing a groan. 

“Moody closed last night. Our boss has an ancient box of Trivial Pursuit cards under the counter for us to use as trivia questions if we need help. Everyone else is smart enough to avoid geography questions that are obviously outdated, but not our Moods. The correct answer was ‘Czechoslovakia’,” he told her, chuckling. 

“That’s ridiculous! Czechoslovakia hasn’t been a country in nearly 30 years!” Anne’s face was turning red as her outrage grew. 

“I know that and you know that, but apparently Moody missed that day in World History class.”

“But how did no one catch it! You’ve been open for over 12 hours today! Has geography fallen into such disrepute that people don’t know that Czechoslovakia doesn’t exist anymore?! I understand if they missed the whole switch over to Czechia a couple years ago, kudos by the way for knowing that, but not even Czech Republic? I am disappointed in you guys.”

“Ouch, Anne. Your words hurt me,” Gilbert joked, clutching his chest as if he’d been shot as he completed her order. “For the record, I’d like to state that I would never choose a trivia question with a false answer. I value the truth, unlike some people I work with, apparently.”

“Okay, but how are you going to remedy this, Gilbert?” she teased. “I’m unsure if I can continue supporting an establishment whose workers wreak such havoc on unsuspecting customers!”

Gilbert flashed her a smile, his eyes full of mischief. He walked over to the register, digging for something before triumphantly walking back to her. He grabbed her drink, placing it on the pick up counter and then placed a dime on top of the lid. 

“There, now you get your discount,” he said, before leaning in closer and whispering conspiratorially, “just don’t tell Charlie I stole it from the tip jar. God forbid he loses out on his tips.” 

Anne giggled, appreciative of the lengths Gilbert was going to in order to continue their banter. 

“Your secret is safe with me.” She made a zipper motion and locked her mouth with an imaginary key. 

“Excellent. So what brings you in tonight?” 

“I decided to start making Tuesday nights my homework marathon nights and just come here. My roommate Diana has this new boyfriend and he’s always over at our place. I can’t get anything done,” she lamented. 

“Oh, that sucks. It’s always so awkward!” 

“Tell me about it,” she said, rolling her eyes before she continued, “I’m working on a project for kid’s lit. I get to read The Berenstain Bears for homework! It’s pretty awesome. So how’d your textbook fare after last week?”

Gilbert laughed and scratched the back of his neck in embarrassment. “Well, it didn’t fully dry out until I stole a hair dryer from one of the girls who lives next door, the pages are super crispy and it’s about three times as fat as it was previously. It doesn’t shut anymore. So...overall not great. Luckily it included a free e-version. Looks like I’m going digital for the rest of the semester.”

Casually covering her mouth with her hand, Anne tried to not laugh at Gilbert’s misfortune but failed as her eyes began to dance, the memory of his water fiasco fresh in her mind. 

“Sure, sure. Laugh it up, Anne. Just remember I’m the one who makes your coffee. You might want to keep on my good side,” he teased, full of empty threats. 

“I’m sorry, I just started imagining you knocking on your neighbor’s door trying to explain why you needed a hair dryer. Your dedication to salvaging the book is honorable. I’ll make sure to observe a moment of silence for its death before I begin my homework. It died a hero’s death. Very valiant,” she assured him, nodding stoically. 

“Let’s just hope the whole Hippocratic Oath thing only applies to people and not textbooks. Pretty sure I caused a good amount of harm with that one. Oops.”

“I think you’ll be safe. So you’re pre-med, then?”

“Yeah, it’s been pretty tough, but I like my classes. Microbiology will be a little trickier without a hard copy textbook, though…”

“I’m sure you’ll figure it out. Wannabe doctors are supposed to be smart, right?” she asked, scrunching her nose at him teasingly. 

“That’s the hope anyways. Well, good luck with your project. Enjoy those Berenstain Bears books cause your homework is way cooler than mine. Just throw up the bat signal if you need anything. I’ll be over here cleaning. The afternoon shift didn’t do any of their tasks, so I have some catching up to do.”

“Thanks, Gilbert. I appreciate it. Talk to you later.” She smiled and gave him a little wave with her cup before turning around to find a spot to camp out for the evening. 

* * *

**Three**

The next week when Anne showed up Gilbert immediately could tell something was off. When she walked up to the counter her shoulders were sagged, she was in a ratty hoodie and she looked like someone told her Santa isn’t real. 

Gilbert looked at her with concern, his eyebrows knitting together, greatly disliking this version of the girl in front of him. 

“Hey Anne, how’s it going?” he ventured cautiously, smiling at her kindly. 

She sighed, slinging off her backpack and dropping it on the ground near her feet before leaning against the counter. “Longest. Week. Of my life. I had a paper due this morning, so I didn’t sleep hardly at all, I have another stupid lesson plan due tomorrow, the kids at work were like wild animals today and I don’t get paid til Friday, so I can’t even afford some frilly drink as a reward for surviving.” Her eyes grew wide towards the end of her diatribe, realizing that she’d apparently left her filter at the door. “Sorry, that was an overshare. You don’t need to hear about my problems. I’ll take a black coffee for here.”

Gilbert chuckled at her frazzled state, obviously not put off by the extra details she gave him. “That’s okay. You’d be amazed by what some people tell me when they come in here. There’s a stereotype that you can tell a bartender anything, but apparently that rule _frequently_ applies to baristas too. Sorry you’re having a crappy day. Do you want whipped cream on your coffee?”

Anne perked up at the promise of sugar before her excitement deflated back to its original state of gloom. “I shouldn’t. I’m trying to be cheap today.”

“That’s okay. The whip’s on the house,” he promised, leaning in closer to her from the opposite side. “I won’t tell if you won’t.” He grinned at her as though giving away free whipped cream was a real risk. Turning around, he nabbed a mug from under the counter and poured her coffee, making a big show of sneaking over to the mini fridge with the whip canisters before he put an obscene amount of whipped cream in her mug. 

“There. That should do the trick for now.” He puffed up his chest a little, looking very proud of himself. 

Anne smirked at him, finding the lengths he’d go to in order to cheer her up quite endearing. “Thanks, Gilbert. What do I owe you?”

“$1.50. You brought your own mug, too, right?” he asked, winking at her and waggling his eyebrows before pointing at the sign indicating the reusable mug discount. 

“Oh, right. Yes. Yes I did. I care very deeply for the environment, you know,” she teased as she handed him her card. 

“I thought you might.” Handing her card back, he looked at her with excitement flashing in his eyes. 

“Hey, I still have a 15 minute break to use tonight. Any chance you want a study break later? I have something I think you might like.” 

He looked so earnest that Anne couldn’t deny him. His vagueness piqued her curiosity. “Uh, yeah I guess that could be okay.” She smiled shyly at him. “I have enough work for a few hours, so just come bug me when it’s convenient. You better not disappoint me with this surprise, Gilbert.” 

Raising her eyebrow at him, she flicked her hair back then retrieved her bag, slinging it over her shoulder and taking her mug to the corner table to get started. 

About an hour later, Gilbert was posted up behind the espresso machine creating an off the menu masterpiece. Closing shifts were the perfect time to play with ingredients to make secret drinks, and he and Charlie were connoisseurs at this point. Anne had mentioned she wanted a frilly drink and he had just the thing for her. 

After topping the drink off with whip and a healthy amount of mini chocolate chips, not to mention the 3 chocolate espresso beans on the lid, he walked over to Anne. She was in the zone, her headphones just loud enough for him to hear the beat of her song as she hunched over her book, scribbling furiously in her notebook. 

Pulling out the chair opposite her, he sat down, waving a hand between her face and her book. Her head popped up as soon as her vision was obstructed. Realizing who the culprit was, she smiled, pulling her headphones off. 

“Hey Gilbert, break time already?”

“It’s been over an hour,” he said with a laugh. “You get pretty sucked into your work, don’t you?”

“Has it been that long? I didn’t notice. I was just reading for class and all of a sudden you were sitting down. It’s a pleasant surprise, though,” she said as she reached out towards him, placing her hand on the table in front of him. “So whatcha got there?”

“Oh, right.” He shook her head a little. “The thing I promised. I felt bad that you were missing out on the frilly drink of your dreams, so I thought I’d make you a Gilbert Blythe special. It’s a secret drink, the recipe only known by Charlie and I. It will only cost you the price of my company for the next...13 minutes. Deal?”

Anne’s eyes brightened, any trace of exhaustion gone from her delicate features. “Ooh! Yes please!” she cried, making grabby hands at the to go cup in front of him. “But I hope you realize that this time I’m going to be asking you questions. I feel like this relationship is incredibly lopsided at the moment. It’s time for you to fess up some details, too, so we’re even.” 

Gilbert’s heart fluttered against his will at the word _relationship_ , even if Anne had meant it platonically. He slid the drink over towards her and smiled. “As you wish.” 

Anne took a swig of the drink, making a louder noise of approval than she’d intended causing her to blush. “Oh my gosh, Gil. What is this?! It’s amazing!”

Gilbert ducked his head smiling and scratched the back of his neck before he answered. “It’s a Crunchberries mocha. How’d I do?” 

“It tastes like Saturday morning cartoons and pajamas! Well, not actual pajamas, but the feeling you get when you wear them. What’s in it?”

“Charlie and I were just messing around with combinations of syrups one night and figured out that 3 parts vanilla, one part hazelnut, one part almond and a little ‘boop’ of cherry tastes exactly like crunchberries when you combine it with a white chocolate mocha. It’s not on the menu because our boss is lame, but it’s one of my favorite drinks.” 

“It certainly should be. It’s so good!” Anne looked at him with a playful scowl. “You’ve ruined me for life. Normal drinks will never suffice again. I hope you’re okay with me ordering this from you whenever I come in now, because you’ve created a monster.”

“A Crunchberries monster?” he quipped, raising his eyebrows in challenge. “Doesn’t sound very menacing. I think I can handle it.”

“I’m not so sure,” she teased. “Don’t judge a book by its cover or a small redhead by her short stature. She might surprise you,” she said, smiling mischievously. 

“So Gilbert, tell me, what made you want to become a barista to put yourself through college?”

* * *

**Four**

“Hey Gilbert, do you know if we have any more grilled cheeses?” Charlie asked, his head deep into the fridge beneath the oven digging through the various prepackaged sandwiches. “I could’ve sworn we had one left but I don’t see it. You didn’t eat it, did you?”

Gilbert could help but laugh. Charlie was like a bottomless pit most shifts. He was constantly eating away any profit he’d make on tips with extra snacks he just couldn’t refuse. “Nope. I didn’t eat your sandwich, Charlie. I don’t know what to tell you. Maybe make yourself an oatmeal?”

Coming back out from the fridge, Charlie flopped on the ground behind the bar. “Fiiiiine,” he groaned, “it’s just not the same….”

“I think you’ll survive, dude.”

Anne arrived at The Six later than usual that day, looking a little worse for the wear, but overall much better than she had the previous week. 

“Hey Gilbert, what’s up?” She smiled at him brightly, smoothing some of her hair down and gathering it over one shoulder. 

“Not too much. It’s been slow today so I’ve just been taking the occasional order and studying for my anatomy test while I listen to Charlie complain about how hungry he is. It’s pretty annoying because I have to be able to identify all 206 bones in the body by Friday.” He rolled his eyes, sighing a little. 

“And you claim to want to be a doctor!” she cried, feigning complete scandal. “Bone identification seems fairly important for success. I’d change that bad attitude if I were you, mister. If you make your mind up firmly that you’ll enjoy something, you usually will. It’s what I have to do at work all the time. Kids are simultaneously awesome and the worst,” she finished, chuckling. 

“Well if you insist. Considering you chipper nature, I’d be smart to listen to you. It seems as though there isn’t much that you can’t overcome with a little determination.” He paused for a moment, realizing that he’d said more than he intended, but decided to just keep moving instead. “So what’ll it be tonight?”

“Can I get a large vanilla blended latte? I’m starving so I’m just trying to get the most caloric drink I can think of,” she admitted, a laugh escaping her lips as she looked at him with a little embarrassment. 

“Did you want food tonight? I think there might be a grilled cheese hiding in the back with your name on it. I can double check to be sure.”

“Really?!” Anne squealed in excitement, clasping her hands in front of her body. It was as though he’d offered her a puppy or free concert tickets rather than a pre-made sandwich that she would still have to purchase. “I figured you’d be out again like last time.”

“Nah, sometimes you get lucky. Let me go check. I’ll be right back.”

Gilbert walked into the back room where Charlie was taking his break, munching on a bag of chips. He opened up one of the large refrigerators and reached behind a crate of milk, pulling out a grilled cheese sandwich that had been hidden from view. 

“What the hell, Gilbert? You said there weren’t any left!” Charlie was truly outraged at this discovery, betrayal written all over his face. 

“I never said that. You asked me if I’d _eaten_ the last grilled cheese, which I did not. Sorry you’re bad at asking questions. Not my problem.”

“But why would you even do this? I thought we were friends, dude. Friends don’t hide grilled cheeses from other friends.”

“No, but they do hide grilled cheeses for cute girls who are hungry,” he quipped back, wagging his eyebrows at Charlie with a mischievous smile on his face. 

“Oh my god, Gil. You’re the worst,” he groaned, crumpling up his napkin and chucking it across the small room. “If you don’t ask out Anne soon I’m going to ask her out for you. Seriously. Get your ass in gear in the next two weeks or I’m gonna tell her _everything_. Don’t act like you haven’t talked about her with me for hours over the last month when it gets slow here. I know way more about how her freckles remind you of cinnamon than I ever cared to hear. I own you now,” he threatened, raising his eyebrows for good measure. 

“Whatever, dude. I gotta go. She’s still out there.”

Gilbert walked back out to the front of the store and waved the sandwich package like he’d found a golden ticket. When Anne saw he’d come back with one she let out a little “woo!” After throwing it in the oven, Gilbert walked back to Anne at the register. 

“Oh my gosh, you’re the best!” Her smile had illuminated her entire face, her dimples on full display. If Gilbert didn’t know any better he’d think she was swooning, but whether it was over him or the sandwich he couldn’t be sure. 

“Couldn’t let my favorite customer go hungry, now could I?” he said with a casual wink. 

When Anne eventually made her way over to her study spot with her makeshift dinner in hand, Gilbert couldn’t help but wonder where this flirty version of himself was coming from. Regardless, he was gonna roll with it as long as he could. He loved to see her happy. 

* * *

** Five **

Saturday mornings were supposed to be for relaxation— a cup of coffee at home, reading for fun, snuggling up on the couch and not moving until lunch. Coffee shops were strictly for fun, not work if she was to venture out into the real world. Unfortunately, she had to violate her sacred rule just this once. Diana had asked her to help cook dinner at their place for her parents and Jerry, effectively destroying her usual afternoon study block. When she arrived at The Six it was a completely different situation than what she usually encountered on Tuesday nights, beginning with the fact that it wasn’t even 9am yet. The only way to properly describe it was bustling, but the staff behind the counter seemed to be handling the chaos okay. 

Anne hated working on homework here on weekends. The place was packed with people and it was loud. Between the retired old men reading the paper and arguing loudly about politics, the moms who managed to escape their kids for a couple hours and the teen girls getting a hot chocolate before shopping at the mall, it was not a place very conducive to scholarship. Despite the distractions, Anne gave it her best go anyways, plugging in her headphones and keeping her head down in her corner spot.

It was around 11am when Anne finally came up for air. She’d done a pretty good job staying focused so far, even when the rain began outside, her love of daydreaming stealing her attention. She’d barely begun surveying her surroundings to see which customers had been replaced by new ones when an entire soccer team came inside, tracking mud and grass in with their cleats. They were thrilled by the idea of a treat at the coffee shop and their parents looked like they needed a fix as well, obviously exhausted by the entire scene. 

They mobbed the front counter, causing Josie to look quite overwhelmed, not knowing where to begin. “Uh, hi, excuse me, could you—”

“Alright, everybody!” A loud voice boomed from behind the espresso machine, catching Anne’s attention. _When had Gilbert gotten here?_ “Please form a single file line along the counter and in front of the bakery case to allow others to pass. We will get to you all as quickly as we can. Thank you for being patient.”

The next hour was a frantic blur behind the counter at The Six. It turned out there was a massive soccer tournament nearby and word had spread that it was the perfect place to escape the rain. Gilbert and Josie worked like a well-oiled machine taking orders and completing them as fast as possible. Unfortunately, that also meant the blender was running nearly non-stop as smoothies and coffeeless blended drinks were the obvious favorites for young girls and their siblings who were dragged with to watch them play. 

After what seemed like ages the last few soccer families trickled out, cutting the overall volume of the store down by half. The remaining customers seemed more at ease, enjoying the relaxing environment that had been restored while the staff began to clean up the mess caused by the chaos. 

Sensing the rush was over, Anne decided it was safe to say approach the counter. Gilbert was hunched over the back bar, cleaning up puddles of melted ice, smoothie mix, various types of milkshake and all the various drink toppings. It was as if a blender had exploded, covering every surface with sticky drops. 

Josie smiled as Anne arrived at the counter, excited to see a friendly face that wasn’t demanding anything from her with a scowl or expression that screamed ‘utterly unimpressed.’ “Hi, Anne, right?”

Upon hearing the greeting Gilbert turned around, his attention captured by the name of the girl who’d been taking up a lot of real estate in his mind as of late. He caught her eye and smiled, giving her a little wave, Anne returning one in kind. 

“Yep, that’s me! I’m surprised you remembered that after the last rush. I don’t think I’ve ever seen it so crazy in here!”

Gilbert walked over towards the register, trying to include himself in the conversation Anne was having with Josie. “Yeah, Saturdays can be crazy,” he explained. “They’re a far cry from the quiet store you’re used to spending time in. We don’t usually get attacked by hordes of little girls in soccer cleats demanding smoothies, though.” 

Anne smiled, looking him over, assessing the damage. “Attacked seems like the right idea. Gilbert, I think you’re wearing as much of the drinks as you served in cups. You have smoothie mix in your hair,” she said fondly, her eyes going soft in the way people looked at fuzzy baby animals.

His hand shot up to his hair, running through his curls in an unsuccessful attempt to fix the problem and blushing as he realized it was a lost cause. Josie simply watched this interaction and smirked, not missing a beat. 

“So Anne, what brings you back? Did you need something else?”

Anne looked confused for a moment before remembering her reason for coming up. “Oh, right. Can I get a grilled cheese?”

“Sure, anything else?”

“Nope that’ll be it,” she replied. After paying she dropped a dollar in the tip jar and headed to the opposite end of the line to talk to Gilbert while he waited for the sandwich to cook.

“So, that was something to witness,” she trailed, raising her eyebrows in surprise. “Who knew little girls could cause so much trouble just from wanting a snack?”

“Oh my gosh, Anne. You have no idea.” Gilbert sighed, rubbing his hands over his face. “Saturdays are usually pretty wild, but that was next level. And they all ordered the stupid drinks that you have to make separately that require a ton of ingredients. It’s the dumbest thing ever. I could feel the Karens judging me for going too slow while simultaneously looking disgusted at the mess on the floor, forgetting that their _own kids_ made it”

Anne cracked up, letting out a bark of laughter before slapping her hand over her mouth. “Well it seems you figured out how to get rid of them anyways. Are afternoons typically slower?”

“God, I sure hope so. I’m not sure I can take another rush like that.” As he finished his thought the oven beeped, signaling the end of its cycle. He grabbed the sandwich and put it on a plate before setting it on the counter in front of Anne.

“Well, here’s your sandwich. Enjoy. Those are my favorite,” he said, looking at the snack longingly. 

“Close, but not quite.” She wrinkled her nose teasingly before continuing. “It’s not my sandwich, it’s yours. But I think the rest will still apply just fine.”

Gilbert’s eyes grew wide, the gift obviously taking him off guard. “Anne, no, you can’t just buy me food. I work here.”

“I can and I did. I gotta run anyways. Just enjoy the snack. You deserve it. Make it up to me sometime if you wanna get even,” she promised, winking at him before turning on her heel and walking out of the store with her head held high. 

Gilbert simply stood there in shock, his eyes flicking between the gooey sandwich in front him and the girl who didn’t take no for an answer. 

* * *

** +1 **

Tuesday rolled around once again and Gilbert was nervous. After spending three days thinking about Anne’s stunt, he kept coming to the same conclusion over and over: she was challenging him to make a move. While he wasn’t entirely sure how it had happened, he knew that he needed to step up. It was this realization that made him put on his favorite green plaid shirt that brought out the green flecks in his eyes. Tonight was the night. He might as well look his best. 

When Anne entered the store Gilbert noticed she looked a bit nervous herself. She blushed when she saw him behind the counter and flashed him a little smile. “Hey Gil.”

“Hi Anne.” Gilbert smiled in return but couldn’t stop looking at her. He knew he probably looked ridiculous, but she looked so pretty in her gray sweater and black vest that he couldn’t bring himself to care. 

“So what can I get you tonight?”

“Why don’t you surprise me tonight. I don’t have a hankering for anything specific.”

“Alright, I just have a couple questions for you then. Chocolate or no chocolate, and flavor shot or no?”

“Umm, let’s do both.”

“Feeling adventurous I see. Excellent. That’ll be $5.57.” 

Anne handed him her card and dropped a dollar from her wallet into the tip jar while Gilbert swiped the card. 

“Here you go,” he replied, returning the credit card. Nodding his head to his right, he motioned for her to follow him. “Charlie’s in the back doing stuff, so I’m on my own right now,” he explained as he began making her drink. He wanted to follow up about Saturday but had no idea where to begin. 

Luckily she threw him a bone. Smiling slyly, she leaned casually onto the edge of the counter. “So how was your grilled cheese on Saturday?”

“Hmmm,” he hummed, his hand coming up to his chin dramatically. “Pretty good. It’s not every day a cute girl buys you a snack.”

Anne let out a giggle, obviously delighted at the shameless flirting, before flicking her hair over her shoulder. “Oh, is that so?”

“Oh yeah. Definitely. In fact, I think I specifically remember this girl saying if I wanted to get even I should make it up to her,” he ventured, handing her the drink he’d created. 

“Interesting. She sounds smart…” Anne trailed hedged, her eyes meeting Gilbert’s playfully as she took a sip from the cup. 

“Oh, the smartest. She even knew that Prague is the capital of Czechia. Definitely a girl you want to get to know.”

“So how would one make it up to a girl like that?”

“Do you like tacos?” he asked, cutting the act in pursuit of an honest conversation. 

“Tacos, huh? Yeah, I like them.” She smiled at him encouragingly. “I think you’d have to be a monster to dislike them. They’re like a whole food group for students.”

Gilbert smiled at her, obviously pleased by her reaction. “Look, I know it’s pretty last minute, but I was wondering if you’d wanna come with me to get a bite to eat tonight after I get off work?” He looked at her, his eyes so hopeful while his hands fiddled with the strings of his apron. 

“There’s a great taco place a couple blocks down the street and I’d really love to spend some time getting to know you outside of work. But if you don’t want to or tonight’s not good I totally understand. I’d usually ask in advance, but I didn’t have your number…” he trailed off, blushing slightly at his eagerness. 

“No, err, yes. Yes. I’d like to get food with you later, no it’s not too last minute,” she stammered, obviously flustered by his proposition. 

Gilbert grinned at her, thrilled by the positive turn their conversation had taken. “Awesome. Great. Okay, so I was thinking since you usually stay til close anyways, Charlie and I could just let you stay while we clean up, then we can go after we lock up?” 

“That sounds perfect,” she said, smiling back at him. 

At that moment, Charlie came bursting through the swinging door from the back room. “Oh hey, Anne,” he greeted mischievously, giving Gilbert an obvious side eye. “So has Gilbert asked you out yet or do I need to kick his ass?”

“Charlie!” Gilbert yelped, shocked by the audacity of his friend. Anne simply laughed at his candor. 

“Yeah, he did,” she confirmed. “No need to harass him, thanks.” She leveled him with a sharp look, completely unimpressed. “Gil, I’ll talk to you later. I’m gonna go work on homework.” Flashing him one last smile, she turned to go find a place to work. 

Before they knew it, it was time to close the store. Luckily for Gilbert, Anne was the only customer left in the store so he didn’t have to figure out a way to kick everyone except her out. She sat at her table and watched Charlie hustle around the store cleaning counters, sweeping the floor and shutting down the machines. Gilbert went to count his register drawer while Charlie split the tips and soon it was time to go. 

Gilbert called to Anne from near the back room. “Alright Anne, we just have to arm the store, so if you could wait outside we’ll be out in just a second. We only get fifteen seconds after we put in the code, so there’s no time to make a mistake.”

“Got it. I’ll be out here then,” she replied cheerily, stepping out of the store and leaning against the window ledge on the sidewalk, looking out towards the parking lot.

The beeps had begun and Charlie had his hand on the door handle when Gilbert suddenly stopped in front of the register, hustling to grab the tip jar and dump his forgotten half of the tips into his messenger bag. In his haste Gilbert missed the bag entirely, effectively pouring the entire container of loose change onto the floor. 

“Shit!” he cried as the warning beeps of the alarm grew faster and louder. Realizing he didn’t have time to pick up the money without alerting the police from the alarm they were about to trip in 5 seconds, he frantically began shoving loose change under the counter back behind the register as he kept shouting “oh my god oh my god oh my god.”

“Gil we gotta go!” Charlie screamed, yanking Gilbert up and out towards the door, tips be damned. They ran out the door and shoved it closed, barely latching it before they heard the double beep indicating the store was armed. Upon hearing the beeps they broke into hysterical laughter, gasping for air as tears leaked from their eyes. 

“What the hell was that?!” Charlie cried, hunched over and leaning on the door for support as he continued to laugh uncontrollably. 

“I don’t know! I panicked!” Gilbert slid down the glass on the opposite side of Charlie, collapsing from the outburst of emotion. “I heard the beeps speeding up and remembered Prissy telling us that if we trip the alarm the cops come and all I could think of was ‘I’m too young to go to jail!’”

At this Anne’s shock at the scene in front of her broke and she began to laugh as well. “You’re too young to go to jail? Gilbert, what on earth…?” she trailed off in a fit of giggles. 

The boys’ heads snapped towards her in unison, stunned looks on their faces, their eyebrows sky high. 

“Oh my god. I totally forgot she was here,” Charlie admitted as his laughter eased slightly, slowly coming down from the adrenaline rush. 

Gilbert looked up at her, his face beet red in embarrassment. He scratched the back of his head as he stood back up. “So....you just witnessed what is quite possibly the most embarrassing moment of my life thus far. Do you still want to be seen with me?”

“You promised me tacos. Don’t tell me you’re going back on your offer just because you thought you were going to jail over some loose change,” she teased, walking over and nudging him with her hip. 

Charlie eyed them disapprovingly, obviously not a fan of their flirting. “Alright guys, with that, I’m out. Bye Gil, Bye Cinnamon Sprinkles,” he said with a wave before walking to his car at the corner of the lot. 

“Cinnamon Sprinkles…?”

Gilbert had the decency to blush once again before looking at her. “Tell you on the way?” he offered, raising his eyebrows and hitting her with his most charming smile as he held out his hand for her to take. 

“Sounds like you’ve got a lot of explaining to do, Gil. Might as well start now.” She smiled up at him and took his hand, reaching across her body to grab his forearm with her free one. 

“So which way to the tacos?”

**Author's Note:**

> So I know I said I was going to update Tu Es Tres Belle but Jenni drew barista Gilbert last week and I legit lost my mind with excitement over the idea of a 5 + 1 fic. Gotta write what the muses demand, right? 
> 
> Fun Fact: All the barista mishaps you just read were 100% real and happened to me during my 3 years as a barista in college. It is so gratifying to be able to use them shamelessly for writing hahaha In case you were wondering, the tip jar spill is absolutely as funny in real life as it sounds. I don't think I've ever laughed that hard in my life. Can't imagine what the people who opened the store thought about the money all over the floor behind the counter 😂
> 
> As always, thanks so much for reading and drop a comment if you'd like. I love reading them and hearing your thoughts! 
> 
> Hope you're enjoying this warmer weather if you're in the Northern Hemisphere and are staying safe!
> 
> Oh, and yes-- the Cinnamon Sprinkles code was a very real thing. Work got really awkward when middle aged bald men actually ordered cinnamon on top of their drinks forcing us to use the button for its intended purpose 😅


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